The invention is in the field of wire pulling and tightening devices, and more particularly methods and devices for stringing and tightening the strings of tennis rackets and the like.
The conventional method of stringing a tennis racket utilizes a jig which supports the racket frame in a horizontal plane convenient to the operator. Two anchor bars extend beneath the plane of the racket frame in the direction the tightened strings will run. A first clamp engageable on these anchor bars is used to grip a string interiorly of the racket frame. The operator then pulls the string through two string holes on opposite sides of the racket so that there is now a string adjacent the gripped string. A tensioning arm exterior to the racket frame is then used to tighten this string, which is in turn gripped by another clamp. The operation is repeated, alternating the clamps until the entire racket is strung.
When laying down the second grid over the first, naturally the strings must be woven through the first grid. This is done manually and it is a labor-intensive process. Even the most skilled stringers can only string a few rackets in an hour. Present racket string machines comprise only a mounting frame, string clamps and string pulling levers. They can often be used on only one type and size of racket. There is a need for a better type of device which would expedite and simplify the stringing process.
Another important point in the background of this invention is the current absence of any way to tighten sagging strings of a racket without completely re-stringing it. Oftentimes string tension of a racket dissipates long before the strings are worn out. Nevertheless, under present methods the strings are cut off and the racket is re-strung. There is a real need for a device that could tighten the strings on a racket without re-stringing it.